The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-08
REVIEW OF GEN. WOLSRLEY'S
PAPER BY JEFFERSON DAVIS.

To the Editor Of the courier.Journali
Please accept my thanks for your
paper containing recently published
aEticle by Gen. Lord Woseley on Gen
r. Il. Lee.
One would reasonably suppose that
an eminent soldier, when writing oil
another OF world wide fame, and oil
military AFFAIR.", which, to no small ex.
tent, have become historical, would
cor Ane himself to ascertainable facts,
instead Of adopting the style Of sen-
sational novelist and manufacturing
accessories with the freedom OF q
romanceh That such is the character
Of Gen. Wolesley's article I propose
In brief review to demonstrate.
Wa OF the South gratefully accept
the eulogy, which could not excsed
the esteem and love and honor In
which we hold the memory OF Lee
but we, who knew him best, feel that
he needs no pedestal constructed Of
the wrecks Of his associates reputa-
ton. The true recital OF his deeds Il
his best eulogy, and that which alone
accords with his moral worth.
Though Lee had full confidence in
the vslor and constaucy Of his troops,
and they implicitly copfided in him,
and though his frequent attacks on
the enemy, Notwithstanding the dis
parity Of numbers and the inferiority
OF his arms and equipments, chow bis
daring and cumbative temper, we are
indebted to Gen. WoIaeley for the
statement that when, in 1862. he visit
cd Lee TAT the head Of proud and vic
torious troops, he smiled at the
notion Of defeat by any
army that could be sent
against him" 1t may here be well to
recall remembrance Ct The fact that
when Lee reported victory he al
ways a,cribed 1t TO the favor Of Provi.
dence, not to the inviDcibility Of bis
army. In the article under review,
Gen. Wolseley presents himself no,
only 80 a military critic, but also as a
political historian; thus he writes in
his ngnt paragraph as follows;
"Lte's soldiers, well versed as all Amori
cans are in thu history Of their forefathors
strugele ag nat Kin gGoorgo tho Third, and
believing hrmly In the Justice OF their cause
saw tho anne virtue in ono rebellion tha
was TO DO found in tho other. his was
point upon which, during my stay in Vir-
Einia In 1862, lou, d eyety Sou herncr laid
The greatsst stress"
Thoee who thus spoke to him mus
have adapted their language to the
nearer, for by none were the r5so u.
tions Of l70S-99 more generally known
and acce; ted ss q cardinal creed than
by Virginlans. 1t was the assertion
Of continuance in the State Of sover'
eighty and independence which had
been won by the war Of the rebellion
against George III. SUI jscts may
rebel, but in 1851 Virginia was a SOW.
ereign State, and II Is a solecism Ia
speak OF the rebellion Of sovereign.
In a subsequent portion Of the same
article Gen. Wolseley elbows that he
had learned from Gen. Lee the South.
ern doctrine, but there is an error in
introducing the adjective old to quail
ify State. Gen. Lee certainly kew,
as did every educated American, thai
the Statea were | equal as to rights
and oD iGa,ions.
AT er Gen. Lees repuguaEce 10 sc.
ceegion, Gec, Woieley writes:
SIN common with all sou h,rners no 6rm.
ly belii we'd thnt each Of tho old Statos had
an equal and indieputable right by its IT,
dividual constitution, and by its act Of
union, TO leave at will the groat Union into
which eace had sep rately. entered as a soy
ereisn State This was with him an article
~ faith OF which he was MS sure rs any divine
truths be found In the Biblo. This fact must
always be kept in mind by tho who would
rightly ,underftand his charac'or, OF. the
course he pureued in 1861. lie loved the
union for which his father and family In
the previous century had fought 30 hard and
done so much. But he lOVei his own State
still mere. She was the sovereign TO whom
In the first plao, no owed allegiance. and
yhoss orders, as expressed through her
legally constituted government, he was, he
felt, bound in law, in honor and in love "a
obey without doubt or hesitation. This
belief was the mainsprinE that kept the
the corner stone Of its constitution"
Having leaned what was the Garner
stone Of the Confe1eIacy, a very little
reflection might have shown him that
the first part Of his narration ss herein
given wss not in conformity 10 II, aad
that the war between the Ststes was
especially different from the uprising
OF the colonies sgainst their British
sovereign.
For the Information OF his readers
Gen. Wolselsy communicates the feet
that ''early in 1851 the seven coitoa
States passed acts declaring their with
dTawsl from the Union and their es
Establishment oil an independent repub
lie, under the title of 'Fhe Sonfeder
ate States OF America Thi5 dscIars
ton of independence was in reality q
revolution. War alone could ever
again bring all the States ,o0ether."